JDW burgers using Northern Irish beef

Beef sourced from Northern Ireland is the inspiration behind 100% pure beefburgers being served in JD Wetherspoon's pubs.

Burgers made with locally- sourced beef proved so popular in nine of the company's Irish pubs that all its burgers now come from the same supplier.

The Emerald Isle connection followed the opening of the first JDW pubs in the province which coincided with restrictions on mainland meat imports.

JDW head of food Rebecca Payton said the burgers' introduction marked the start of a review of all products on the company's menus.

She said: "We're promoting our 100% British and no- added-salt burgers in line with current trends - people want to know the provenance of their food and they support healthy eating. Burgers are a huge part of our volumes and our price point is key, but this issue is not just about price - it's about quality and value for money."

The burgers are chilled rather than frozen before shipment and no salt or fat is added. Natural spices

are used to give the burgers more flavour and they are made using a slow-mincing method to give a home-made feel.

A 6oz burger and drink

costs £3.99 in most JDW pubs and the company has launched a price comparison campaign which positions its burger prices against Harvester, Beefeater, Hard Rock Cafe and TGI Friday.

The company's coffee-price campaign, which compared its prices to Starbucks and Costa, has helped it to achieve 6% of high street coffee sales, amounting to 400,000 cups a week.